Hair-curler.



K. TANAKA;

HAIR CURLER. v APPLICATION FILED JUNE :6, 1916.

?atsnted Oct. 17, 1916.

LQQLSQL A TTORNEKSI 'KANJ'I TANAKA, or SEATTLE,

WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO TSUNIJIRO NOMOTO, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

HAIR-CURLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

Application filed June 16, 1916. Serial No. 104,046.

To all whom it may concern}:

Be it known that I, KANJI TANAKA, subject of the Emperor of Japan, residing at 621 King street, Seattle, Washington, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hair-Curlers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same;

This invention relates to toilet articles, and more especially to hair curlers; and the object of the same is to produce a rotary curler having a movable clamp-the whole capable of operation with one hand. With the ordinary form of these implements the operator first clamps the end of a tress of hair to the heated rod, then rotates the implement to wind the hair thereon, and after it has become heated she rotates the implement in the opposite direction to unwind the hair to a suflicie t extent to permit her to open the'clamp; t en the implement is withdrawn longitudinally from the curl thus formed, and considerable care must be exercised not to destroy it or to singe the hair or burn the head. At best the operation is slow and awkward, and to overcome the disvantages which are always prevalent I have produced a-rotarycu rling iron capable of being operated by one hand so that the other is left free. p

The following specification describes the preferred embodiment -of the present invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device with the handle portion in section, and Fig. 2 is a rear viewof the device complete: Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the nut and finger ring, Fig. 4 a sectional detail of the nut, and Fig. 5 a section on the 'line 55 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings the numeral 1 is applied to the rod, usually round and highly polished, on which and about which the hair is vto be wound while it is being heated and curled, and 2 is the clamp or fastening member pivoted near one end to the rod 1 and extended beyond its pivot 17 into a lever having a knob 6 of non-conducting material, a spring 7 being disposed between the lever and rod to throw the clamp normally into contact with such rod as will be clear.

The numeral 3 designates a hollow handle preferably having a guard 4 secured thereto as at a, slotted longitudinally at 15 along that s de opposite said guard, and having its lower end closed and its upepr end open. Into said upper end is removably inserted an annular cap 3, preferably held therein by threads 3* and provided with depressions 3 for the reception of a spanner wrench so that this cap may be removed. The rod eX- tends through the cap, has a shoulder 12 beneath it, is carried thence throughout the length of the tubular handle, and its remote end is mounted in a step bearing 11 in the lower end of the handlea'll as best seen in Fig. 1. That portion of the rod within the handle is provided with'a worm made up of one or more threads 8 of rather steep pitch.

Movablv mounted within the handle is a nut 13 whose threads 13 engage those numbered 8, and from this nut projects a guide pin 16 which extends radially outward through the slot 15, has a shoulder 14 beyond the same, and carries a ring 5 at its outer end. An expansive spring 10 is coiled within the handle with its convolutions wound around the threaded end of the rod,

'one end being secured to the nut as at 10 and theother end 10 to the lower end of the rod. The tendency of the spring is to expand longitudinally and hold the nut raised against the shoulder 12 and the latter against the cap 3, and also to 'uncoil so that the parts normally stand in the position best seen in Figs. 1 and 2.

In use, the operator grasps the handle,

preferably passing most of her fingers under the guard with the tip of the index finger against the knob 6 and the thumb through the ring 5. Pressure on the knob causes the c1amp2 to open, and with her other hand she passes the tip of a tress of hair between the clamp and the rod 1, which latter of course has been heated. Now she removes her finger from the knob 6 and the spring 7 closes the clamp onto the hair. Next with either her thumb or finger through the ring 5, she moves the same downward so that its pin 16 slides from the upper end 18 of the slot 15 toward the lower end 19 thereof. This causes the nut 13 to travel on the worm considerably loosened up, and then renewed pressure on the knob opens the clamp from the rod and the implement can be withdrawn longitudinally from the curl. It is quite obvious that all this can be acoinplished much more expeditiously than with the ordinary form of hair curlers now in use; and the im-' plement is neat, inexpensive, and not likely to get out of order. Access to the interior of the handle as for inspection, oiling and repair can be had by removing the cap from the upper end of the handle and withdrawing the guide pin 16 .from the nut, to which it may be removably attached in any suitable manner.

\Vhat I claim is:

In a hair curler, the combination with a rod having a worm on its lower end; of a tubular handle having a cap at its upper end in which the rod is journaled and a step bearing for the rod in its lower end, the handlehaving a longitudinal slot along one side, a nut whose threads engage said worm, a pin projecting radially from the nut through said slot, and an expansive coiled spring within the handle having one end connected with the nut and the other with the lower end of the rod.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

KANJ I TANAKA. 

